Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1537537
8 2 A U G U S T 2 0 2 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / 2 0 2 5 F O O T B A L L P R E V I E W / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Players (9) No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. Placekicker 94 Ryan Barker R-So. 6-2 202 98 Matthew Parker Fr. 6-0 218 Punter 99 Gabriel Nwosu R-Sr. 6-6 292 95 Riley Thompson Sr. 6-1 230 Long snapper 48 Tyler Duzansky R-Sr. 6-4 222 35 Blaise Sokach-Minnick R-Jr. 6-3 224 Kickoff returner 10 Nicholas Singleton Sr. 6-0 224 Punt returner 5 Devonte Ross Sr. 5-10 170 7 Zion Tracy Jr. 5-11 180 PRESEASON ANALYSIS ★★★★★ National Title; ★★★★ Top 10; ★★★ Top 25; ★★ Too Unproven; ★ Major Concern STARTERS ★★★★ The Lions are welcoming back a couple of two-year starters in senior punter Riley Thompson and redshirt senior kickoff spe- cialist Gabriel Nwosu, as well as a 10-game starter in redshirt sophomore placekicker Ryan Barker. In addition, senior running back Nicholas Singleton could reprise his kickoff-return duties for the fourth consecu- tive year if the coaches feel he gives them the best chance to break a long one. EXPERIENCE ★★★★★ There's a returning starter at every key position, so the Nittany Lions boast plenty of experience. If they go with newcomers in the return game, it'll be by choice, not be- cause they lack veteran performers. DEPTH ★★★ While Nwosu is the team's kickoff special- ist, he's listed on the roster as a punter and would likely be called upon if anything were to happen to Thompson. He's only punted twice at Penn State, both times as a redshirt freshman in 2022. At placekicker, the backup is true fresh- man Matthew Parker. He's untested at the college level, but he hit 23 of 29 field goal tries his last two seasons at York (Pa.) Cen- tral and was a first-team Class 6A all-state choice both years while earning a 4.5-star rating from Kohl's Kicking. OVERALL GRADE ★★★★ Barker's emergence as a redshirt fresh- man gave the Nittany Lions some long-term security at the placekicker spot. While his range hasn't really been tested yet — he missed his only attempt from beyond 50 yards — he's been accurate from makeable distances, and he has shown he can kick under pressure, having gone 4 for 4 on the road versus USC, including a 36-yarder to supply the decisive points in a 33-30 over- time victory. Parker will certainly be given every op- portunity to compete for the starting spot, but with a proven kicker returning and a tal- ented newcomer pushing him, the Lions will enter the season in a position of strength at this crucial spot. The other key roles also appear to be in good hands, making the kicking game a pro- jected strength in 2025. BY THE NUMBERS 10 Years since Penn State had won a game on a walk-off field goal when Ryan Barker drilled a 36-yarder in overtime to beat USC, 33-30, last October. Before Barker's kick, the Lions hadn't won on a decisive field goal since Sam Ficken hit a 36-yarder to give Penn State a 26-24 vic- tory over UCF in the 2014 season opener. 41.8 Penn State's punting average in 2024, which ranked 15th in the Big Ten. The year before, the Lions ranked second with a 45.5-yard average. 77 Consecutive games in which Penn State has not given up a special teams touchdown, a streak dating back to the 2019 season. 2024 vs. 2025: Stock Up Or Down? In most respects, Penn State's kicking game has stayed the same since last year — same punter, same kickoff specialist, and the punt and kickoff returners are all back, though it's possible that PSU will make some changes to the return teams. The one big difference is that the Lions won't go into the 2025 season with questions at placekicker. After starting out the 2024 campaign as Sander Sahaydak's backup, Ryan Barker seized control of the position early in the Big Ten campaign and is a firmly established starter heading into his redshirt sophomore season. The Lions could certainly stand to improve their consistency after compiling a 41.8-yard net punting average last season. But overall, you'd have to say that their stock is up in 2025. X-Factor Can transfer wideout Devonte Ross put a charge in the punt-return game? The Lions weren't very dynamic last year, with Kaden Saunders, Zion Tracy and Tyseer Denmark combining to average 5.9 yards on 23 attempts. Ross averaged 17 yards on 9 attempts last season at Troy, including a 77-yard return for a touchdown against Iowa, which hadn't al- lowed an opposing punt returner to go the distance since 2016. Freshman Outlook Matthew Parker, a walk-on from York, Pa., looks as though he'll be Barker's backup with Sahaydak and Chase Meyer moving on. Elsewhere, if the Lions opt against using senior running back Nicholas Singleton to return kicks, the leading contender for the job might be redshirt freshman Quinton Martin Jr. As a true freshman last fall, Martin toted his lone kickoff-return attempt 27 yards against UCLA. That's about it, though. With so many veteran specialists returning, the freshman contri- butions will primarily be on the kicking and kick-coverage teams. Ryan Barker hit 15 of 18 field goal attempts as a redshirt freshman and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS